Humidifier attachment for clothes dryers

ABSTRACT

A HUMIDIFYING CHMBER IS PROVIDED IN THE VENT PIPE FROM A CLOTHES DRYER, AND THE AIR VENTED MAY BE BYPASSED THROUGH THE CHAMBR TO DELIVER HEATED MOIST AIR TO THE AREA NEAR THE DRYER. A DAMPER CONTROLS THE FLOW OF AIR SO THAT THE HOT MOIST AIR MAY BE VENTED TO OUTSIDE ATMOSPHERE WHEN DESIRED.   D R A W I N G

Feb. 20, 1973 R. E. HARTUNG 3,716,925

HUMIDIFIER ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHES DRYERS Filed Oct. 12, 1971 UnitedStates Patent 3,716,925 HUMIDIFIER ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHES DRYERS Ray E.Hartung, 7381 Memory Lane, Minneapolis, Minn. Continuation-impart ofabandoned application Ser. No. 869,846, Oct. 27, 1969. This applicationOct. 12, 1971, Ser. No. 187,970

Int. Cl. F26b 21/00 US. Cl. 34-80 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ahumidifying chamber is provided in the vent pipe from a clothes dryer,and the air vented may be bypassed through the chamber to deliver heatedmoist air to the area near the dryer. A damper controls the flow of airso that the hot moist air may be vented to outside atmosphere whendesired.

This is a continuation-in-part of my application for HumidifierAttachment for Clothes Dryers, Ser. No. 869,846, filed Oct. 27, 1969,now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improvement in humidifier and dealsparticularly with a device for utilizing moisture vented from a clothesdryer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional clothes dryers heat the wetclothing from the washing machine to evaporate the moisture therefrom.The moist air being vented from the dryer is normally vented to outeratmosphere. Obviously, the air being vented contains considerablemoisture.

In the colder climates, the humidity drops very materially in coldweather. As a matter of fact, many homes are equipped with humidifierswhich add to the moisture in the air during the winter months, and arealso equipped with dehumidifiers for removing moisture from the airduring the summer months. Under normal circumstances, the moistureremoved from clothing in a clothes dryer is not utilized, but is merelyvented to atmosphere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention resides inthe provision of a simple device designed to fit into the vent pipeleading from the clothes dryer to outer atmosphere. This devicecomprises a chamber encircled by filtering material capable ofsupporting moisture and through which moisture laden air may pass. Thesection of the vent pipe which extends through the chamber is providedwith a by-pass opening and a damper is provided which is operable in oneextreme position to close the vent pipe and to open the by-pass opening,and which is operable in its other extreme position to close the by-passopening and to open the vent pipe. As a result, the moisture laden airmay be either directed inside the house or outside thereof, dependingupon the position of the damper.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a deviceof the type described which may operate to distribute moist air insideof the house at times when the humidity within the house is low, andwhich will permit the moist air to vent to outer atmopshere at timeswhen humidity is high. By merely operating a 3,716,925 Patented Feb. 20,1973 ICC damper, all of the moisture removed from clothes in a clothesdryer may be distributed within the house at times when the air withinthe house lacks moisture, aiding materially in distributing the properamount of moisture in the air.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention willbe more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification andclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing aclothes dryer, and showing the humidifying apparatus used in conjunctiontherewith.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the humidifying device shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail showing the manner in which thesubstantially cylindrical screen is formed.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the damper structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The humidifying device isindicated in general by the letter A, and the clothes dryer is indicatedin general by the letter B. The dryer B may be either electric or gasoperated. The dryer B is provided with a vent pipe 10 which normallyleads through the wall of the house or through a window opening so as toterminate outside of the house. The vent pipe 10 is normally made ofshort sections of sheet metal tubing which are crimped at one end inorder to telescope into a section of similar tubing.

The humidifier A includes a section of tubing 11 of standard length andsize which may take the place of a section of the tubing normally used.A section of tubing 11 is provided with a crimped upper end 12 which isof slightly reduced size so as to fit in the uncrimped end of the nextadjacent section. A pair of spaced sheet metal rings 13 and 14 encirclethe tube section 11. The rings 13 and 14 are provided with shortcylindrical flanges 15 and 16 respectively which fit snugly about thepipe 11 and which may be welded or otherwise fixed to the pipe. Therings 13 and 14 are provided with peripheral flanges 17 and 19respectively which act to support a substantially cylindrical screen 20made of expanded metal or similar foraminous material.

Clothes dryers such as B usually are located as near as possible to awall in order to conserve space. The upper end of the vent pipe isusually connected to an elbow directed to a section leading through thewall. The vertical portion of the vent is usually spaced a few inchesfrom the Wall to accommodate the elbow. In order not to disturb thisarrangement, the short cylindrical flanges 15 and 16 are preferablyeccentrically arranged. These aligned flanges are so arranged that thetubing section 11 is close to one side of the screen 20, as is indicatedin FIG. 2 of the drawings.

As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the screen 20 is formedof a rectangular sheet of foraminous material which is bent in agenerally cylindrical form, and in which the substantially abuttingedges 21 are bent inwardly and rearwardly to provide a slot therebetweenwhich extends parallel to the axis of the screen. The screen 20 acts asa support for a filter blanket 22 which is generally similar to thefilter blankets used in the inlets of hot air furnaces and the like, andwhich may be made of glass fibers or similar material capable ofseparating hnt and similar foreign particles from the air, while stillpermitting air to pass readily therethrough.

The filter blanket 22 comprises a rectangular strip of filter materialwhich is of a width substantially equal to the height of the screen 20,and which is of a length slightly in excess of the circumference of thescreen 20. As is indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the ends 23 of thefilter blanket are forced through the slot 24 between the ends 21 of thescreen 20 and the blanket is frictionally held in place. The structureis such that the blanket may be removed and replaced or washed andreplaced whenever it becomes necessary to do so. However, in view of thefact that the movement of air through the blanket is in an outwarddirection, lint and other foreign particles are deposited on the innersurface of the blanket, and little maintenance is required.

The damper construction is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings.An opening 25 is provided in the pipe by cutting a pair of parallel cutlines 26 through approximately one half the circumference of the pipeand normal to the axis thereof. The parallel cut lines 26 are connectedby a central out line extending longitudinally of the pipe. The portionsof the pipe on opposite sides of the longitudinal out line are bentoutwardly into flat or parallel relation to form parallel wings 27 whichextend tangentially to the surface of the pipe section 11 and which haveparallel forward edges 29 which were previously joined before thelongitudinal cut line was made. A top closure plate 30 connects theupper edges 31 of the wings 27. The closure plate 30 is provided with asemicircular notch 31 which is of proper radius to fit snugly againstthe pipe section 11. The plate 30 is provided with parallel downwardlyextending flanges 32 which lie outwardly of the upper portions of thewings 27. The flanges 32 are connected to the wings 27 by any suitablemeans such as by spot welding.

A bottom closure plate 34 is provided which is generally similar to theplate 30. The bottom closure plate 34 includes a semi-circular notch 35adapted to fit the contour of the pipe section 11. This bottom plate 34is provided with parallel side flanges 36 which are spotwelded orotherwise secured to the outer surfaces of the wings 27. Both theclosure plates 30 and 34 are co-extensive with the wings 27 so as toprovide a rectangular tubular passageway.

An angle bracket 37 includes a flange 39 which is spotwelded orotherwise secured to the upper surface of the lower closure plate 34.The bracket also includes a vertical panel 40 which extends upwardly atright angles to the flange 39. The flange 40 is provided in its uppersurface with a notch 41 having a radius of curvature which is slightlyless than the radius of curvature of the inside wall of the tubularsection 11.

The flanges 32 of the upper closure plate 30 are provided with alignedapertures 42 extending therethrough and the wings 27 are provided withregistering openings 43. A pivot shaft 44 extends through the openingsand supports a damper 45. The damper 45 is provided with a bearing 46extending along one end and is of a width to snugly fit between thewings 27 and against the inner surface of the bracket flange 40, as wellas the closure plate 30. When in engagement with the flange 40, themarginal edge of the damper slightly overlaps the edge of the notch 41.The end 48 of the damper is rounded to fit the curvature of the innersurface of the tube section 11. In one extreme position, the damperforms a closure for the passage formed between the wings 27. When in itsother extreme position, the damper completely closes the outlet pipe 11above the level of the wings 27 as is indicated in full lines in FIG. 2of the drawings.

An angle bracket 47 has one flange 49 welded or otherwise secured to thedamper 45 to extend forwardly therefrom in a vertical position of thedamper. The angle bracket 47 includes a second flange 50 having anaperture 51 extending therethrough. A damper operating a rod 52 extendsthrough the aperture 51 and is pivotally connected to the bracket 47.The arm 52 extends between the ends 23 of the filter blanket 22 to bemanually operated externally of the device.

If it is desired to take advantage of the moisture removed in theclothes drying process for humidifying the air, the arm 52 is pushedinwardly into the position shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, swinging thedamper 45 across the pipe 11 so as to close the opening to the vent. Themoisture leaving the dryer is then lay-passed through the dischargedamper housing between the wings 27 and into the interior of the screen20 from where it may flow through the filter blanket to the ambientatmosphere.

The moisture laden air is thus distributed into the room in which thedryer is located, and excess moisture collects in the filter blanket andgradually evaporates. Obviously, the extent to which the air ishumidified depends on the frequency of use of the clothes dryer, thevolume of clothes being dryed, and other such variables. However, all ofthe moisture which is in the clothing when it is put into the dryer isdelivered to the ambient air, and the device aids materially inimparting moisture to the air.

The damper 45 will normally remain in position to close the pipe 11without the use of any latching means. The damper is light in weight,and the rod 52 is frictionally engaged between the ends of the filterblanket and will normally remain in adjusted position. Furthermore, whenthe dryer is in operation, there is usually a slight pressure build-upwithin the humidifier tending to hold the damper in a set position.

When it is desired to direct the moist air outside of the house, theoperating arm 52 is pulled outwardly, swinging the damper 45 downagainst the flange 40 and opening the passage to outer atmospherethrough the vent pipe 10. During the winter months, the heat andmoisture generated by the dryer may be used to assist in heating andmoistening the air within the house. During the summer months when thehumidity is normally high, the heat and moisture is directed to outeratmosphere through the vent in the usual manner.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my Humidified Attachment for ClothesDryers and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodimentthereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made withinthe scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a clothes dryer within a buildmg and a dryer ventduct extending from the air outlet of the dryer to outer atmosphere, thevent duct including a series of vent pipe lengths in telescopingrelation,

a pair of imperforate discs supported in spaced relation on one of saidlengths of vent pipe,

a foraminous wall secured to, and between, said discs and encirclingsaid one length of vent pipe in spaced relation thereto,

a filter blanket encircling said foraminous wall,

a tubular damper housing extending at generally right angles to saidvent pipe within said foraminous wall,

said vent pipe having an opening therein communicating with the interiorof said tubular damper housing,

a damper pivotally supported by said damper housing and swingable from aposition closing said vent pipe and opening said damper housing, to asecond position closing said damper housing and opening said vent pipe,

the area between said discs and inwardly of said foraminous wallproviding a chamber for catching lint and other particles issuing fromsaid clothes dryer air outlet, and

means for pivoting said damper between said positions.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said foraminous wall includes anarrow slot extending parallel to the axis of said one vent pipesection, and in which said filter blanket includes ends extendingthrough said slot and trictionally engaged therein.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said means for pivoting saiddamper includes an arm pivotally connected to said damper and extendingthrough said slot and between the ends of said filter blanket.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which said damper pivoting meansincludes an arm pivotally connected to said damper and extending throughsaid wall.

5. The structure of claim 1 and in which said vent pipe extends throughsaid pair of discs near the periphery thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS KENNETH W. SPRAGUE, PrimaryExaminer J. C. YEUNG, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

